I take inspiration for writing from many sources, but one of my favorites is Pádraig Ó Tuama’s Poetry Unbound. A few weeks ago, he featured sections of a poem by Joy Harjo. I listened, then read the whole poem. I was reminded of a conversation I had with my husband when we passed road construction on the way to visit the doctor.
Two weeks ago, my husband was mauled by a German shepherd. He’s going to be okay, but his calves were pretty torn up and he’s had two surgeries so far for repair and debridement. This is the kind of thing that turns your world on its edge, just checking in to see if you’re paying attention.
When I am thrown into a deep hole, I make my way out by writing poetry. Joy Harjo inspired this one. It may help to know that Jeff is a real estate attorney.
Road Construction
As we pass the road construction,
he told me the owners agreed
to the sale if they saved the tree.
The tree is gone; one hundred years
of life gone for a road.We don’t know how long we have.
How long until a dog escapes its fence
and takes you down to the bone.This land does not belong to us to give.
The house on the corner did not own the tree;
it was not theirs to give, but there’s the empty space
filled with mulch, the former bark
of a tree giving up its life for a road.Margaret Simon, (c) 2024
Reflections on the Teche 